- This is not a debate about public vs. private education. This is about the theft of childhoods in the name of brutal academic competition.
In a country where memory fades fast and justice crawls even slower, Sri Lanka’s latest scandal was inevitable. The name dominating headlines and whispers alike is Hayeshika Fernando, now infamously branded “Teacher Amma.” This self-declared queen of tuition, currently on the run and wanted for assault, didn’t just peddle false promises she sold off an entire generation’s future. She preyed on the fragile egos of parents and the vulnerable hopes of children, all while the very institutions meant to protect these young minds stood mute, blind, and criminally complicit.
But this isn’t about one woman. It’s about a nation. A society that has blurred the lines between education and entertainment, truth and theatrics. The heavily filtered videos that turned “Teacher Amma” into a household name were less about learning and more about exploitation stage-managed “success stories” that masked the circus behind them. And the children? The performers trapped in this cruel spectacle.
Once meant to uplift underprivileged youth, the Grade 5 scholarship exam has become a trophy in a sick contest of middle-class delusion and parental vanity. Children are no longer enrolled in these academic mills out of need they’re shoved in out of fear and status obsession. It’s not education; it’s psychological roulette with a child’s wellbeing as the bet.
Predators like Teacher Amma thrive in this ecosystem. They promise results, manipulate minds, and hide behind a facade of cheerful selfies, feel-good slogans, and public stunts. But pull back the curtain, and you’ll find a machine powered by unchecked abuse, emotional trauma, and systemic failure.
Hayeshika’s empire now momentarily paused as she flees arrest while her husband and staff face charges—wasn’t an accident. It was built with the full consent of a country desperate for shortcuts and dazzled by social media spectacle. She didn’t break the system. The system birthed her.
Sri Lanka is no stranger to charismatic frauds. From Sakvithi Ranasinghe to Thilini Priyamali, the nation has elevated scam artists to celebrity status. “Teacher Amma” belongs in this rogue’s gallery, but with a chilling twist she exploited children’s dreams and parents’ desperation to build her empire.
What exists now is not education it’s a tuition-industrial complex. Ministries act like rubber stamps. Oversight is non-existent. Tutors with more charm than credentials are worshipped like gods, celebrated for likes and views, not for their impact on young minds.
And the shame lies in what’s missing. No checks. No balances. No psychological safety for children. No vetting of staff. No mechanisms to report abuse. The answer to every question of accountability is the same: there is none. And that’s how predators like Teacher Amma become untouchable.
This isn’t just about her. This is about us.
It’s about a society so broken, it confuses toxic noise for success, glitter for growth, and business for education. It’s about a machine that runs on the backs of children, polishing them for applause while scarring them for life.
And this time, when another “Teacher Amma” rises, the nation won’t be able to say, “We didn’t know.” Because now, we do.
